Improving labor productivity, ensuring social security in the new context

(People's Life) - Continuing the Forum program, at 10:50 a.m. on September 19, 2023, Topic 2 with the theme "Improving labor productivity, ensuring social security in the new context" was held under the co-chairmanship of President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences Phan Chi Hieu and Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien, Deputy Head of the Central Economic Commission.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi speaks at the Forum

Deputy Head of the Central Economic Commission Nguyen Duc Hien said that in terms of productivity, in the short term of 2023, special attention should be paid to policies that create a foundation to promote productivity, increase investment in science and technology,education and training. We must not neglect the issue of productivity, even in difficult economic conditions, and we need to pay attention to investing adequately in innovation and technology development.

In the long term, it is necessary to innovate the internal structure of the industry, create sustainability in productivity, create synchronization in implementation stages, improve human resource quality, and promote digital transformation in the business community.

Regarding social security, the Deputy Head of the Central Economic Commission said that experts have shared many ideas about amending the Law on Social Insurance in a flexible direction, expanding the coverage of beneficiaries and collectors, diversifying the portfolio of insurance investment fund structures, and limiting the situation of withdrawing social insurance at one time.

Recently, the issue of increasing one-time social insurance withdrawal has received much attention. It is necessary to amend and supplement related laws in the coming time to overcome existing problems.

Clarifying the current situation of this issue, the major directions in terms of solutions included in the Law on Social Insurance to limit this situation, Deputy Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi said that the issue of withdrawing social insurance at one time is a very troubling reality. In the period of 2016 - 2022, the number of people withdrawing social insurance at one time reached 3.5 million people...

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi, the number of people withdrawing social insurance often falls into the case of paying for less than 5 years (70%). The reason is that workers do not fully realize the role of social insurance in ensuring social security throughout life, partly due to the difficult circumstances of workers...

Regarding solutions in the coming time, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi said that the State needs to strengthen propaganda and raise awareness of workers about social insurance. In addition, there should be policies to increase the attractiveness of social insurance; temporary support policies for workers in difficult circumstances...

Overview of Topic 2 with the theme "Improving labor productivity, ensuring social security in the new context"

On September 19, the National Assembly's Economic Committee, the Central Economic Committee, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences jointly organized the Vietnam Socio-Economic Forum 2023 with the theme "Enhancing endogenous capacity, creating momentum for growth and sustainable development".

In his opening speech, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue emphasized that the Vietnam Socio-Economic Forum is an annual event of the National Assembly. “The forum is an important way to gather and promote the intelligence, enthusiasm and responsibility of National Assembly deputies, people, voters, experts, scientists, domestic and foreign enterprises and businessmen to contribute to important national issues and the decisions of the National Assembly,” according to Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue.

After the opening session, Topic 2 with the theme "Improving labor productivity, ensuring social security in the new context", Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien said that social insurance policies have gradually affirmed and promoted the role of the main pillar of the social security system, which is the guarantee to replace or partially compensate the income of workers when they encounter risks in life. Developing social insurance will be the premise and condition for the good implementation of social security policies, contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.

According to the Law and Ordinance Development Program for 2023 and 2024, the Law on Social Insurance (amended) will be discussed by the National Assembly at the 6th Session (October 2023) and is expected to be approved at the 7th Session (May 2024). Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien asked Mr. Nguyen Van Hoi, Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, to clarify what are the major orientations and policies of the draft Law on Social Insurance (amended)?

Information, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi affirmed that the amendment of the 2014 Social Insurance Law is extremely important and necessary at present and has been included in the Law and Ordinance Development Program for 2023-2024. The biggest orientations of the amendment of the Social Insurance Law are to concretize Resolution 28 and aim to ensure social security for all people and ensure social security for the entire workforce.

Regarding the subjects of the amendment, the Deputy Minister said that the Government has proposed to the National Assembly to add the group of labor force who are household heads, with about 2 million household heads having registered businesses and paying taxes. At the same time, it will add the group of subjects managing cooperatives and business establishments; and add the group of social insurance pension regimes for the elderly aged 75 and over. Thereby, it will help increase the coverage of social insurance policies.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Hoi stated that there are five major policy groups in the Law on Social Insurance (amended) submitted to the National Assembly, notably amending regulations on social insurance contribution and benefit levels, regulations on revenue and expenditure of the Social Insurance Fund; resolving evasion of social insurance contributions; resolving one-time withdrawal of social insurance; reforming the social insurance system to be more effective, public and transparent; and regulations on safe and effective investment of the Social Insurance Fund in the future.

Sharing more about the content of this draft law, Mr. Dang Thuan Phong, Deputy Chairman of the Social Committee , the agency reviewing the draft Law on Social Insurance (amended), said that the draft law has 05 major policy groups and 11 issues that the Government has submitted. The Committee has reviewed this content at the 10th meeting recently. However, with these policies, it is necessary to clarify which policies are institutionalizing the Resolution and which are temporary solutions.

The Vice Chairman of the Social Committee stated that there are currently many different opinions on the content of withdrawing social insurance at one time in the draft Law on Social Insurance (amended). The drafting agency is listening to and accepting these opinions. The viewpoint of the Social Committee is that regardless of the option chosen, long-term social security for workers must be ensured.

Mr. Phong emphasized that it is necessary to ensure that the social insurance policy is truly a long-term solution for workers. As for how much to withdraw, one time or many times, it needs to be carefully researched and considered.

According to the Vice Chairman of the Social Committee, in addition to the direct solution of amending the law, there are indirect solutions such as credit mechanisms, policies to ensure stable employment... to meet the requirements and solve the problem of withdrawing insurance at one time at present.

In addition, the Social Committee is actively consulting experts and scientists to have a clearer basis on this issue.

Thanh Nhung

Source link